


Scars

by wewriteletters



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [3]
Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Blood and Injury, Broken Bones, Bullying, Childhood Trauma, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I'm gonna be real this became way more jessica and gil centric then I expected, Malcolm Bright Gets a Hug, Malcolm Bright Needs a Hug, Non-Graphic Violence, Young Malcolm Bright, but it's fine we're fine, this is so cliche don't @ me for taking out all my own childhood issues on malcolm kjskjsd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:15:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25815646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wewriteletters/pseuds/wewriteletters
Summary: Gil is called to help when there's an incident at Malcolm's school. For Bad Things Happen: Childhood trauma.
Relationships: Gil Arroyo & Jessica Whitly, Gil Arroyo & Malcolm Bright, Jessica Whitly & Martin Whitly
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1699966
Comments: 6
Kudos: 87





	Scars

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I am alive. Somehow. This year hasn't been fun but that's not a hot take anymore. Anyway, this story was inspired by this [headcanon](https://malclombright.tumblr.com/post/625934697729540096/headcanon-malcolm-got-the-scar-on-his-lip-one-of) I got on tumblr: Malcolm got the scar on his lip one of the times that some kids in his class beat him up after school. It's also for the Bad Things Happen Bingo prompt "childhood trauma" because why not double dip! 
> 
> I wrote it in less than two hours but I figured I'd post it because I've had writers block for the past several months. Enjoy!

Gil knew getting a call from Malcolm’s school wasn’t good.

It always ended with tears and bruises and Jessica too drunk to process anything and the headmaster insisting this is just how boys their age behave. It was always up to Gil to pick up the pieces, to comfort Malcolm, to try and get him to defend himself next time, which he never did. Of course Gil didn’t mind being there for Malcolm, but it killed him that the kid was still dealing with these issues over a year after his father’s arrest.

Gil parked his police car in front of the school, knowing Malcolm would not be staying the rest of the day and wanting to be able to leave as quickly as possible. The light gray brick exterior of the building made it blend in with every other brownstone house and high end shop in the upper east side. Gil had worked in this part of the city for years before that fateful night, but he still felt so out of place amongst the nanny’s and valets that crowded the streets near the school during pick up. At least it was only a bit after lunch, so he wouldn’t have to worry about a line. 

Once he opened the door, he took an immediate right until he reached the front office at the end of the hall. Gil hated how routine this had become, how his feet seemed to just carry him this direction, how he knew the names of more school staff than the names of Malcolm’s teachers. The receptionist, Jenny, the only one who actually seemed concerned about Malcolm, had seemed very worried on the phone. She said she was ready to drive the kid to the ER herself but she figured she’d try to call Gil after Jessica hadn’t picked up their call.

That was also routine. Not having to actually work and being exiled from the New York social scene had left Jessica with nothing to do but drink and overuse sleeping pills all day. Gil had long been listed as the second emergency contact for Malcolm and Ainsley and he took that role very seriously. The kids had a driver who picked them up most days but Gil tried to get Malcolm at least once a week to get ice cream and drive around the city for a couple hours. He always seemed more cheerful on those days. 

“Gil!” Jenny jumped up from her desk and ran towards the officer, hands clasped in front of her light green pencil skirt. “Thank god, I was worried we’d have to call an ambulance. There’s just so much blood-”

“What? Where’s Malcolm?”

Jenny had barely finished gesturing to the nurses office before Gil was charging ahead. He had never heard Jenny this distraught, and Malcolm was no stranger to coming into the office with cuts and bruises.

He understood her distress as soon as he opened the door. Malcolm was sitting up on the cot, but almost every part of his face below his eyes was drenched in blood. It was coming from his nose and upper lip and had already poured onto his clothes, drenching the white collar of his uniform crimson. The nurse was helping him hold what seemed like an entire roll of gauze to his nose, while the principle stood to the side, barely phased by the bleeding child in front of him.

You’d think with Jessica’s wealth and the Milton family name, Headmaster Dalton would at least be afraid enough of a lawsuit to get the bullying to stop. But somehow, money didn’t seem to matter when it came to the Whitly family now. They were still seen as pirahahs, getting whatever kind of karma they deserved for harboring a murderer. Gil wouldn’t be shocked if the school wasn’t punishing the perpetrators because they wanted Malcolm to withdraw and take the Whitly name with him. 

But Gil was not going to let this continue. He should have put his foot down the first time he was called in, after one of the boys in Malcolm’s grade poured milk over him at lunch and Gil had to bring him a change of clothes. The kid had enough to deal with, he didn’t deserve more trauma added on top of everything.

“What the hell happened?” Gil snapped at Dalton. 

The other man was quick to respond, his calm tone only angering Gil more. “Officer Arroyo, I assure you we followed protocol to a T with this...incident.”

“Incident? Sir, do you know what aggravated assault is?” 

“Assault? I’d hardly call boys rough housing on the playground assault. My brothers and I did worse to each other every day when I was his age.”

“It’s not rough housing if three of the boys involved are back in class without a scratch on them and the other one is in the nurses’ office with a broken nose.” Gil turned to Malcolm, his anger melting away when he saw how scared the boy looked. He was starting to shake, his right hand trembling so much he almost dropped the gauze. 

Gil shot Dalton one last glare, a promise that this “incident” wouldn’t go unreported, and knelt down to help Malcolm to his feet. “Come on, kid, let’s go.” Malcolm flinched at the pain as he did his best to stand. Between Gil and the nurse, they were able to get the bleeding under control enough to get Malcolm to the car. The nurse, Helen if Gil remembered right, looked genuinely upset and he felt awful that she and Jenny just had to listen and do whatever Dalton told them to. No wonder he always took the bullies side, he was just a bully himself.

After getting Malcolm settled in the passenger seat, Gil went to put the keys in, but then hesitated. 

“How are you feeling?”

Malcolm shrugged. “Talking hurts.” 

Again, Gil had to suppress the desire to go right back up those stairs and pull the boys out of class right now. “Can you tell me what happened?”

“I fell.”

“You fell or you were pushed?”

Malcolm turned his head so Gil couldn’t see his expression, which was an answer in itself.

“I’m sorry kid. We’re going to go to the ER, okay? I think your nose might be broken. They’ll help you feel better.” 

“Gil, no! Please, I just want to go home.” Malcolm curled in on himself. “I’ll be fine.”

Gil sighed. He knew the kid hated hospitals. Probably a mix of just being a rational childhood fear and the buildings reminding him of his father. But Malcolm looked like he’d need stitches at the very least. There was too much blood to treat this like something you could just handle with a first aid kit. 

“Sorry, Malcolm. I promise we can do something fun afterwards, okay? We won’t be there long.”

Malcolm looked like he wanted to object, but he knew there was no use arguing when he could barely speak and was covered in blood. “Okay.”

“That’s good, kid. You’re being real brave.” Gil slowly drove out of the parking spot, silently cursing the school building behind him.

\--------------------------------------

“What the hell happened!?”

Gil knew Jessica was coming before she even pulled away the curtin to the small hospital cubicle he and Malcolm were in. He heard her arguing with a nurse and then the click of her heels as she rushed towards them. She looked disheveled, which was extremely rare for the socialite. Her hair was a mess, she wasn’t wearing makeup, and her outfit consisted of just a sweater and plain black pants. 

At least she didn’t seem drunk, Gil thought with a slight bitterness. He quickly reprimanded himself. He knew how much Jessica was struggling and he cared about her just like he cared about Malcolm and Ainsley. She had clearly rushed over once she got the message from the hospital, but it was hard for Gil to get over the fact that she hadn’t gone to the school or at least gotten here sooner.

They’d been in the ER for nearly two hours. Gil’s suspicion about a broken nose had unfortunately been correct and Malcolm also needed stitches on his upper lip. The fact that it would leave a scar infuriated Gil. He didn’t deserve any physical reminders of what these boys were doing to him and now he’d have a reminder every time he looked in the mirror. 

Malcolm was currently asleep, curled in Gil’s chest. They were both sitting on the hospital bed, Gil stroking Malcolm’s hair to try to comfort him. They’d given him a sedative while they set his nose with a splint and it hadn’t worn off yet. Jessica sighed looking at the two of them. 

“Is he okay?” She asked quietly. 

“No.”

“I’ll have a plastic surgeon look at his nose and those stitches. I know an amazing one, Doctor Henderson, he has a private practice in our neighborhood. He did a wonderful job when Christine Vanderbilt broke her nose at-”

“Jess.” Gil gestured his head towards Malcolm, who was starting to squirm a little in his arms.

“Oh, sweetheart.” Jessica’s tone was soft and loving as she sat down on the edge of the bed and stroked Malcolm’s hair. “It’s going to be okay.” She planted a kiss on her son’s forehead before looking up to Gil. “I hope he’s not having a nightmare.” 

Gil was worried about the same thing. Malcolm’s nightmares had only gotten worse lately, and nothing seemed to help with them. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” he replied, but he pulled Malcolm closer to himself, hoping that would help make him feel even a bit safer. “But we need to do something about school, Jess.”

“I know,” Jessica replied quietly. “I’ll be having a stern talk with the headmaster tomorrow. They may not respect our family name anymore, but I will make them respect me and my children.”

Gil had no doubt Jessica could make them. She hadn’t lost her fire or intensity with the arrest. When she wasn’t wrapped up with self medicating her own trauma, God help the man who hurt her or her family. He just hoped she’d follow through with it.

Jessica scooted up until she was next to Gil on the pillow, with Malcolm curled up in between them. He seemed to be sleeping soundly now and Jessica’s eyes filled with tears. “It’ll be okay dear, I promise.”

Gil just hoped she was right.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it. Come check me out on tumblr at malclombright for more subpar content <3


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